His Blood
by D.K. Rhoswen
Summary: what happened to the blood the trustfund vamps took from Nikola?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After spending the day re-watching ever last Nikola episode of Sanctuary today my brain apparently got **_**another **_**fic idea. That being said I have no idea where this story is going but my plan is write it and update it as it come to me tonight. Hope you like it anyways =] **

Helen let out a tired groan and slowly came to consciousness. Sitting up from where she had slumped over in her desk chair the night before she stretched out the kinks that had developed in her body from sleeping in the awkward position of half-sitting half-slumped. Looking around Helen gazed out the window and gauged by the way the sun was beaming brightly outside that it was most likely early morning, and a quick glance at the clock confirmed her suspicions as it was just about nine in the morning. Standing she smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes and headed off to change before picking up some tea and resuming her work.

Striding to her room, she replayed the events of the prior evening over in her mind. Finally admitting defeat she had asked Will to send Nikola to her office so that she could break the news to him that she was unable to find away to revamp him. News that broke not only his heart but her own heart as well. Despite the fact, as Will put it, Nikola had been a bit of thorn in her side for the past century or so, Nikola was the kind of thorn in ones side that you could like. His arrogance aside she had always enjoyed his snarky sense of humor and respected his genius as he had respected her back when women were little more than possessions. They had been very good friends before the Five was formed, good friends even after her courtship with John had begun and she had imagined that he would be the only friend she would have for the rest of her life. But in a few short seconds that all changed. Now it seemed that she would eventually lose the one person she never thought she would lose and she would be forced to face the centuries of her life alone.

The discovery of Nikola's magnetic abilities seemed to help him a great deal, and this in turn had eased the pain that Helen was hiding so well. She knew now, that even if he had to face his mortality at least, as he had so eloquently put it, he could work with that. He could use this magnetic ability to whatever end he saw fit and thus be able to continue his quest for world domination. A smile spread across Helens face at this, nothing could crimp his ambitious nature. But still, even after he had slinked away, bottle of premier cru in hand, Helen had felt the tug of sadness at heart. Standing she had crossed to her desk and with a few strokes on the keyboard had once more brought up Nikola's research and began combing through it again. Looking at it for the billionth time she remained sadly certain in her conviction that she could not revamp Nikola with the research and the blood from Laura, but also could not shake the feeling that she was missing something vital.

Reaching her room Helen shook these thoughts from her head and swapped clothes quickly before going down to the kitchen. As she stood before the stove, waiting for her kettle of water to boil to make her tea she heard the thudding footsteps of a man approaching Helen turned towards the doorway, hoping that maybe Nikola was not going to drink wine all day and smiled broadly, only to find Will trotting in. Sleep still in his eyes he missed the smile slip slightly on Helen's face before she recovered and greeted him warmly,

"Morning Will."

"Good Morning Magnus. Any chance I get some of that tea?"

"Certainly! Just grab yourself a cup." Helen said.

Coming over to the cabinet Helen noticed a few splotches of dark red on the shirt Will was wearing.

"Uh Will what is that on your shirt?"

Confused Will paused mid-reach for a cup, lowered his arms, turned to face Helen and took a look at his shirt.

"Oh that's just my blood." He shrugged turning back to the cabinet for a cup, "I cut myself shaving this morning. Guess I didn't realize I'd got a few drops on my shirt…"

Helen's eyes grew wide as everything clicked her brain. Turning back now Will saw Helen's face and quickly asked,

"What is it Magnus? Something I said?"

"Actually, yes!" Helen replied, "Do you know where Nikola is?"

"Uhh I bumped into Henry on my way here who said he saw him heading towards the lab, wine in his hand muttering something about testing his new abilities…why what's up?"

Helen just smiled broadly and thanked Will as she backed out of the kitchen and then took off towards the elevator. Once in the elevator she pushed the down button and thought to herself that never in all her years had the elevator moved this slowly. The second the doors opened she dashed down the hallway and burst into the lab. There she found Nikola seated at the far end and a few small objects floating and rotating in the air near the door. Upon her entrance every last object clattered to the ground as Nikola rose to his feet in one fluid motion saying,

"Helen, I'm surprised to see you here." He smiled walking towards her, "Not that I mind at all. But what brings you down here?"

"A question of the utmost importance."

Nikola tilted his head slightly in confusion and intrigue.

"Ask away."

"When you were held captive by Chad and the rest of the trust-fund vamps, you said they took some of your blood yes?" Helen asked him, slightly rhetorically, and still walking towards him.

Nikola froze in his spot and an angry sneer appeared on his face.

"Yes." He almost growled.

"What did they do with it?"

"What?"

"Nikola," Helen stopped a foot from him, a grin playing on her face, "What did they do with the blood they took from you?"

Nikola's eyes darted back and forth as he mentally revisited the moments he was in the brat's apartment recalling every tiny detail that was possible.

"Well…they drained some of my blood into a bag…when that was filled Biff removed the tubing from me and took the bag into another room…" Nikola paused to look up at Helens eyes, "But other than that I don't remember seeing it again…"

"And if you had, you would remember…" Helen finished for him.

"Yes…Helen why…?"

"Because that is the answer to our problem!" Helen blurted out, "I believe the reason your DNA rejected the serum I synthesized from Laura's blood is because it was _Laura's_ blood. Not your own."

"Since it wasn't my own blood that could cause my body to reject it, thinking it was some kind of hazardous invader, as it did with my first test subjects…" Nikola's eyes glinted bright with hope, "Meaning if we find my still vampiric blood there's a chance I could be revamped!"

"Or at the very least slow you're aging process!"

"Helen Magnus, exquisite beauty and infinite intelligence." Nikola grinned broadly causing Helen to duck her head slightly at the compliment, "So I guess its back to the brat's apartment we go?"

"Yes, I suppose so. I mean if that's what you really want…" Helen sighed in a teasing matter.

Nikola ignored Helens comment with that cheeky grin of his asked,

"Shall I inform the children, or are we going to leave them behind this time?"

"No such luck Nikola, I plan on bringing Will in case we need to attack them from a psychological perspective…."

"Very well," Nikola sighed turning to grab his jacket, "every mission needs an expendable member and the doctor is as good as Tiny Tim I suppose…"

Helen rolled her eyes,

"I'll go grab Will and you meet us at the car in ten."

As she turned to go left out of his lab, and he went right, Nikola paused and called back to her,

"Oh don't forget your gun!"

Helen stopped and turned to look at him quizzically,

"You really think that'll be necessary?"

Nikola shrugged, backing away down the hallway saying,

"No, but you look hot when you're carrying one."

Laughing at his incorrigible nature Helen stepped into the elevator to go fetch her second in command.


	2. Chapter 2

The suburban rolled to a stop outside the upscale apartment building. Helen shifted the car in park and turned to look at Will who was seated upfront next to her. Nikola, in back, leaned forward and asked,

"We sure those brats are still living here?"

"Henry checked, their current address is still listed as this apartment." Helen assured him.

"How are we going to play this?" Will asked.

"I'm thinking we should try and be polite and see if they'll just give it to us first," Helen caught sight of the looks both Will and Nikola were giving her and hurriedly added, "and if they refuse then we can get forceful."

"This is, of course, assuming they still have it…" Will added sneaking a cautious side glance at Nikola.

"Well I'm glad you're here to point out the obvious Dr. Expendable otherwise I'd be completely lost." Nikola said not hiding the snark in his tone.

Helen had a moment of déjà vu from the last time she sat here discussing how to approach things in this apartment. Mentally shaking her head she said,

"Alright, let's do this."

Five minutes later the three strolled up to Penthouse Two and Helen knocked on the door loudly. They only had to wait a moment before the door swung open and they found themselves face to angry face with Laura. She stood, one hand on the door the other on her hip and glared at them.

"What do _you_ want?" She snarled.

"May we come in?" Helen asked in a tone dripping with honey, "We would like to ask you something…"

"Not interested."

And she slammed the door in their face as hard as she could and then they all heard the lock clicking into place and the sound of two dead bolts being snapped into place.

"So much for the nice approach." Nikola quipped.

"Now what?" Will asked looking at the others.

"Now we get forceful," Nikola said, "Stand back Helen."

Helen sighed and stepped back to stand beside Will who watched confused as Nikola went up to the door and put his hands on it. He carefully skimmed them up to a spot from a few inches above the knob. Then smiling to himself he made a quick, sideways flicking motion with his wrist and Helen and Will could hear the bolt going flying from his place and clatter off an inside wall to the floor. As footsteps and a loud call of "what the hell was that?!" sounded from inside Nikola repeated the action calmly and again the sound of the bolt was heard clattering inside. Then Nikola raised his hand to the knob and began to rotate his fingers and the unmistakable clicks of it unlocking could be heard. With a final flourish Nikola swung open the door to reveal Laura, Chad, and Darren standing there dumbstruck as the locks to their apartment was opened from the outside.

"Still no manners I see," Nikola sighed, "as Helen told you, we have something to ask. And now as you can see, we mean business."

Turning back to Helen he said,

"Beauty and brains before genius."

Helen nodded to him and stepped inside hiding her grin, Nikola following. Will stepped in, shut the door gently behind him and gestured inward saying to the three shocked people before him,

"Why don't you go on in."

They obliged nervously and all took a seat on the couch and Nikola and Helen took seats opposite them with Will standing in the space between the chairs.

"I see de-vamping you didn't have quite the affect I had hoped." Chad sneered.

"Keep talking like that sonny boy and you'll find out just what the affect was." Nikola snarled.

"Nikola we need him," Helen said then added as she saw the fear evaporate a little from Chad's eyes, "for now."

"Look what do you people want with us?" Darren spoke up hostility bristling in each word.

"I want to know what you did with my blood." Nikola spat.

Suddenly smirks broke out across the faces of all three young people and they visible relaxed. Instantly dread swelled in Helen chest and Nikola tensed and scooted to the edge of seat, but before he could snarl something at them Will said,

"If you're thinking of using that as some sort of bargaining chip, you'll have to think again. We don't make deals like that."

"Oh don't worry. _We_ won't have to do any bargaining with you." Chad said mockingly.

"So where is it then?" Helen asked.

"It's so much _where_ as it is _with whom._" Darren corrected.

In his mind Will put the pieces together.

"Whom did you sell it too?" He asked.

"You _sold_ my blood!?" Nikola burst out angrily.

"Yepp. Got a nice price for it too." Laura smirked, leaning back in triumph.

"How could you have possible found anybody to sell it too?" Helen questioned, "You know nothing about…well about our world."

She finished lamely as she suddenly realized certain objects around the room were rattling. Will noticed it too and both looked at Nikola who was positively fuming at the prospect that once again these brats were going to thwart his plan. Before Helen or Will could say something to Nikola, Chad decided to answer Helen's question.

"Well we didn't have too. These people came to us, said they knew we had the blood and were willing to pay for it."

"Yeah and we aren't ones to turn down _that _much money, even if we have a ton to begin with." Laura smiled.

"Definitely not. I'm actually thinking of using my share to give those Med School parties a second try." Darren laughed.

That last comment sent Nikola over the edge. Suddenly three knives zoomed from the kitchen to hover just above each of the three insolent necks before him.

"Nikola what are you doing?!" Helen, horrified, leapt up to face the still seated Nikola.

"It's called getting forceful Helen," Nikola replied.

Laura whimpered from her prone position on the couch as the knife above her neck wavered slightly. Chad and Darren exchanged terrified glances. Then Chad said,

"We…uhm…dude let's…"

"I am not you're dude!" Nikola snapped.

"Killing them is not exactly what I meant by forceful Nikola!" Helen barked at him.

Turning his head Nikola smiled at Helen and gave her tiny wink saying,

"Oh but Helen, isn't this always how we deal with loose ends that don't cooperate?"

Catching on Will added,

"He has a point Helen, I mean, if they don't want to help we shouldn't treat them any differently than the others…"

"We'll cooperate!" Laura shouted hurriedly, "What do you want to know."

Helen shrugged as if to say, alright if they're going to play nice. Slowly turning his gaze back to the three terrified children before him Nikola grinned.

"No more games?"

They nodded carefully. Nikola lowered the knives enough from their necks that they talk without fear of accidently slitting their own throats.

"Now, tell us everything you know about who bought his blood." Helen instructed.

"Like I said, they just showed up at our door, three dudes, and said they knew we had the blood and that they'd pay us 7 million for it." Chad explained, eyes darting from Helen to the knife floating at his chest.

"I asked how they knew and they said that wasn't important, you know the typical cryptic answer." Darren added.

"That's all we know." Laura said quietly.

Knowing there had to be more Nikola raised the knives again growling

"Not good enough."

"That's all we know I swear!" Laura whined terrified.

"No wait! Wait!" Darren floundered.

The knives wavered again, and Nikola turned his cool steady gaze to Darren's face, boring into him. Darren gulped a little and then said,

"I walked them to the door, and I asked who they were, and they all looked at each other and one of them said tell Tesla, Magnus and her minions if they come looking for the blood that Druitt didn't kill us all."


	3. Chapter 3

Will, Nikola and Helen all exchanged a shocked glance and then Will said,

"Well this is bad."

"Once again so glad you're here to point out the obvious Dr. Expendable." Nikola snarked.

"We need to get back to the Sanctuary immediately." Helen said, "Let them go Nikola."

With a sigh of faked regret Nikola dropped the knives to the floor and got to his feet following Helen out of the room. As Will went to follow Laura said,

"Wait just a second. You get to come in here, threaten us and then just leave?!"

"Yeah, cops can't do anything. Like I told you we're sanctioned monster hunters, technically we don't even exist."

Will replied in a mysterious tone he hoped they would buy and then jogged after Helen and Nikola who were already out the main door of the apartment and waiting at the elevator in silence. Nobody spoke until they reached the car, when Helen said to Will,

"I'll drive. You call Henry and tell him to go to high security alert and be waiting with Kate in my office when we get back."

Will took his phone out but said,

"Sure thing, but uh, what's going on?"

"Helen you could have picked a more astute protégé…" Nikola sighed.

"And she could have picked somebody who was less of an ass to be best friends with." Will retorted.

"Gentlemen that is quite enough of that." Helen interjected.

Nikola settled into his seat in the back, wishing he could see the look on Helen's face at the fact Will called him Helen's best friends since he was personally thrilled with assessment. Helen, up front, was glad Nikola could not see her face as a slight blush had arisen at Will's choice of words, even if the statement had been correct.

Ten minutes later they all strode into Helen's office to find Henry and Kate seated side by side on the couch, waiting for them. Will took a seat opposite Henry and Kate while Nikola walked over and stood to the left of Helens desk. As Helen elected to perch herself on the edge of her desk Henry asked,

"What's going on Will? You're call was a little cryptic…"

"Yeah well, these two," he gestured to Helen and Nikola, "know something and didn't share it with me."

"Only because we had to be sure we were somewhere safe before we started this discussion," Nikola stated.

"Somewhere safe?" Kate repeated, "Are the trust-fund brats up to something?"

"Oh no, we could only be so lucky." Nikola said.

"Be so lucky?"

"Did I start speaking in Serbian," Nikola asked looking to Helen.

"Dude! Just tell us!"

"The Cabal are not quite as dead as we thought." Nikola announced.

"WHAT?!" Three voices rang out.

"Yes it appears the Ripper was extra sloppy this time around."

"Seriously, that's who bought his blood?" Will turned to Helen.

"There's no other logical explanation as to who could have made such a statement." Helen confirmed, "It has to be the Cabal."

"So what are we going to do?" Henry asked her.

"We reach out to all our contacts and we find them."

"Are they really a threat?" Kate asked.

"They are now with my blood." Nikola told her.

"How can that be…?"

"Because they used all the Source Blood on Ashley and look what happened. Now my blood may not have been pure sanguine vampiris but look what I was able to do with it and even though the Cabal aren't quite as smart as me I wouldn't put it past them to come up with some way of utilizing my blood."

As Helen watched Nikola speak she couldn't quite make out the expression in his eyes, whether it was hurt, anger, regret, fear, or a combination of all of those. When he finished speaking she said,

"Right. So, let's reach out to the community and see what we can find out. Report back in three hours."

The others nodded and trudged off to see what they could dig up. Nikola made as if to go but a hand on his upper arm stopped him.

"Nikola, are you quite alright?" Helen queried.

Even though he had been looking into them for over a century now Nikola still found himself getting lost in the depth that were Helen's eyes. A moment passed before he was able to free himself from her gaze and mutter,

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Helen, who had found herself a little lost in Nikola's piercing gaze, was not convinced by his word and persisted.

"Mhmm. And look me in the eye and tell me you weren't seriously thinking of hurting those brats for selling your blood…"

Nikola turned his gaze from where it had wandered to the door back to Helens face and replied,

"They are not worth the effort."

"I suppose not," She smiled gently but then said again seriously, "Are you sure you're alright."

A tiny grin played on Nikola's face as he said softly,

"You know, for a best friend, you aren't very good at knowing when to drop a subject."

"Its part of my nature as a scientist, always wanting to know the truth," Helen answered playfully.

There was a silence in which Nikola's gaze wandered down to the hand she had wrapped tightly around his arm. Taking her hand in one of his Nikola gracefully lifted it to his lips and brushed a soft kiss against her silken skin. Lowering her hand to her side Nikola murmured,

"As much as it warms my heart to know you are worried for me, you should not be. You said it yourself Helen, I am my real self again."

And with that he swept out of her office. Helen watched him go and whispered under her breath,

"I don't know how to stop worrying about you, I've been doing it all my life."


	4. Chapter 4

Precisely three hours later everybody came strolling back into Helen's office. Except Nikola who was fashionably late and arrived six minutes after everybody else, and has he took up his spot standing near Helen he not surprisingly had a slight scent of wine about him. He walked in just as Kate was saying,

"I got the same results as Henry. Everybody got in touch with said that the Cabal was destroyed, but a new sect has popped up and just took over using the same name, a messed up version of the Dread Pirate Roberts."

"Dread Pirate Roberts?" Helen asked confused.

"Gee doc," Henry said "even _I've_ seen the Princess Bride…well anyway uh, basically they just passed on the name, different guy same name."

"So what do we know about this new Cabal?" Nikola asked.

"There's nothing on them in the police department," Will shrugged, "but then again, didn't expect there to be."

"My sources said that they're looking to build from the ground up, and have a very good start. Apparently their getting funding from some pretty big corporations," Henry told them.

"Yeah, I'm still waiting to hear back from one of my contacts but I have a feeling he'll say basically the same thing as the rest of my sources." Kate sighed, "New Cabal, better funding and more aggressive."

"And nobody was able to supply you with a possible location?" Helen asked.

Just then Kate's cell went off, and she took it out and walked off to answer it. Will shook his head,

"No. No location, no names. Just whispers and brief encounters similar to that of those trust fund kids."

"So basically Doc, we got zilch." Henry said, "perfect!"

"We officially don't have zilch!" Kate announced bouncing back into the room, "Old contact pulled through for me. He was contacted by some guys who said if he wanted a job other than…" Kate hesitated glancing at Helen before finishing "….a new job to drop by New City industrial distract, warehouse nine two days from now at about seven o'clock."

"Nice work." Nikola said, "But I don't think we should wait two days…"

"My thoughts exactly," Helen nodded, "Henry go pull up everything you can on that warehouse."

"Got it Doc!"

Henry leapt up and scurried off to his laboratory. Kate and Will looked at Helen expectantly.

"Will why don't you go inform the other heads of the situation and just tell them they want to reach and make sure this new Cabal isn't trying to go global," she turned to Kate, "Keep in contact with your sources in case any new information pops up."

Both of them nodded and went off to do their perspective tasks. Nikola looked at Helen and asked in a teasing tone,

"And what are my orders General?"

"You and I are going for a little target practice," Helen told him.

"I haven't used a gun…well ever, nor am I about to start."

"Who said you'd be holding the gun?"

Nikola tilted his head in confusion and intrigue before saying,

"You want me to practice me new abilities?"

"Ah, there's the genius I remember from Oxford."

About an hour later Henry entered the shooting range to a most bizarre sight. Helen was standing at one end, pointing a gun straight at Nikola who stood confidently at the other end a bulletproof vest discarded at his side. Before Henry could say anything to make his presence known Helen fired off four shots in quick succession. Henry jumped a little at the noise and his eyes grew wide first in shock that his boss and just shot at Nikola and then at the fact the bullets came to a dead halt and turned and floated to Helen's feet.

"What happened to shots in increments of three?!" Nikola called to her.

"It's more fun when you're surprised!" Helen responded.

Nikola rolled his eyes at her blatantly,

"After a hundred years nothing you do can surprise me!"

"Is that a challenge?"

Henry cleared his throat and said,

"Doc I got the spec's you asked for."

Turning Helen looked at Henry.

"And?"

"And it looks like it's not just a dead drop. This place looks like it could their main operation center."

"Perfect. Gather everyone up. We move tonight then."

An hour later two cars rolled over the pavement towards New City. Henry and Kate were bringing up the rear in van. In the suburban leading the way, Helen was at the wheel, Will up front again and Nikola in back absentmindedly twirling two bullets in the air as he watched the scenery slip by absorbed in his thoughts of how once again, he'd managed to put Helen in harm's way. Sighing he snagged a bullet from Wills clip up front and started twirling it along with the other two.

Fifteen minutes later the cars were parked, and the teams had split up into Henry Kate and Will and then Helen and Nikola and started their approach to the warehouse as the sun was just beginning to fall from the sky. Helen and Nikola were almost to their designated entry point and they hadn't run into any trouble. Reaching a corner Helen peered around it and seeing nobody was about to turn it when Nikola suddenly grabbed her with one hand by her upper arm, yanking her roughly to him and quickly covered her mouth his other hand before she could let out a startled cry.

A split second later a heavily armed and rather muscular man marched passed the very corner Helen was about to turn. A second passed and Nikola lowered his hand from Helen's mouth and arm to rest it gently on her waist, taking in greedily the scent of her hair, the way her hands were grasping at his shirt, and the way it felt to have her weight resting on his body. Another second passed and Helen did not make any attempt to shift her weight as she realized she liked very much the way Nikola's hands felt around her waist. In the next second Nikola gently pushed Helen at the waist to a standing position but did not widen the gap between them. The next second brought Helen's gaze to look steadily into Nikola's finding the emotions she was feeling in herself mirrored there. Then that cheeky grin spread across Nikola's face as he leaned to Helen's ear and whispered,

"Surprise."


	5. Chapter 5

Just then Henry radioed,

"We're in position."

Breaking eye contact, and breaking the spell, Helen reached down and answered through her radio,

"We're almost there. Hold for my signal."

She turned and looked around the corner again, then back at Nikola who nodded, and they dashed across to the door of the warehouse some 50 yards away. Reaching it Helen went for her radio but Nikola raised a hand to stop her. A moment passed and when he nodded Helen pressed the button and said,

"We're in position. What's your situation?"

"Ready to go Doc."

Helen looked at Nikola who nodded again and she said,

"Ok. Be safe. Let's do this."

Putting her radio away, she drew her gun as Nikola watched. When she had it firmly in her hands Nikola turned his attention to the door. Raising both his hands he rotated his hands to the right and the crunch of metal sounded and a few seconds later the door separated from its hinges and fell forward at his feet.

"Not very stealthy," he noted "but they apparently know about my new ability as that door is not metal at all, I think it's actually plastic."

As Helen stepped on it and into the warehouse, she confirmed Nikola's suspicion with a crisp crunch sounding from where her foot was planted. Sweeping around one corner she led the way into the hallway. Soon, thanks to their not so stealthy entrance, they found themselves face to face with two men, one wielding a machine gun. Ducking back down the hallway they had just come from Nikola commented to Helen,

"How come you didn't practice with one of those on me?"

Peering around the corner and Helen fired off a couple shots before answering,

"I just didn't think you were ready."

Nikola scoffed,

"We'll see who isn't ready."

And with that he stepped around the corner, Helen calling a desperate, "NO NIKOLA DON'T!!" after him. The sounds of the machine gun firing drowned out her shout and deterred her from sticking her head out to see what was happening. A few, long, moments later the sound of the gun fire stopped and she heard the unmistakable sound of bodies slumping to the ground. Fearing the worst she stepped around the corner, gun at the ready, just in time to see the last of the bullets ping harmlessly to the ground around Nikola's feet and the bodies of the two assailants. A triumphant grin plastered across his face he said to her,

"Shall we press on m'lady?"

"Nothing ever deters you does it Nikola."

She noticed the grin slip for micro-second before he responded,

"A few things do, but nothing these little punks could throw at me."

They progressed in a similar fashion to the main laboratory; Helen leading the way and Nikola winding up killing most of the would be assailants with their own bullets. Once at the main lab ten minutes later, they met up with the others. They stood in a small semi circle around Nikola as he worked on the doors. He soon had those doors off their hinges as well and the team burst in the lab guns drawn to find,

"Nobody's here." Henry said shocked.

"That's good for us." Kate replied.

"Indeed it is." Helen agreed.

Henry quickly got to work downloading what he could from the various computers and Kate and Will began putting papers into files and boxes for transport back to the Sanctuary. Helen and Nikola stood by the doors, standing guard. Then Kate opened a small refrigerator at one end of the room.

"Jack pot."

Pivoting everybody turned to face Kate as she straightened up, a smile on her face and in her right hand a bag of blood labeled "Dr. Frankenstein." A grin spread across Helen's face as she said,

"See if you can't find a bio-cooler to put in."

Kate nodded, putting the blood back in the refrigerator until she found a cooler. Helen turned to look at Nikola whose eyes betrayed the mixed reaction he was having. On one hand Nikola felt hope at the prospect he could be revamped with his blood, on the other hand he was feeling this hand all been way too easy.

"Nikola be happy." Helen murmured to him, "Now you don't have to die."

"Only if I can find away to use my blood…" He said in an uncharacteristically unconfident tone.

"You're a genius remember?" Helen smiled broadly at him.

Then she abandoned her post by the door to examine something that Henry was asking her to come look at the security footage he'd been able to hack into. It appeared, to her relief, that they were now alone in the warehouse. Returning to her previous position Helen leaned against the doorframe, relaxing, back to the hallway. Nikola crossed to stand sideways so he could speak straight into her ear.

"Helen I'm not sure I like this."

"What do you mean?"

"Leaving this lab completely unprotected because five people have breached you're facility does not make logical sense Helen."

Will happened to overhear Nikola's comment. He paused in his task and said,

"He may be right Magnus. This is a bit suspicious."

"Maybe," Helen replied, "Or maybe you're forgetting we aren't dealing with _the_ Cabal that I had to deal since I was younger than you. This was just a group looking to build an empire with that name."

Nikola, who had actually been listening, suddenly tensed up. Will noticed this and instead of replying to Helen opened to his mouth to ask Nikola what it was he was sensing but never got the chance. The very next second Nikola grabbed Helen and moved her from the doorway to the ground as shots rang out.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well this has been one wild and crazy ride for me and probably for all of you guys too. Thanks for reading and as always, enjoy =]**

Will remained frozen as Henry stood and drew his gun, but even he wasn't fast enough. Kate spun on her heels the instant she heard the first shot, gun out and fired back hitting the man once in the torso and once in the chest. He dropped to the ground instantly, gun falling lamely from his hand. Lowering her weapon she looked at the boys and was about to make some witty remark about women and guns when a strangled cry sounded from the floor on the other side of the lab table.

They all moved quickly to the other side of the table to find Helen crouching over Nikola's prone body. Helen ripped open Nikola's shirt to find two gaping holes in his torso and a third in his chest. Each one was gushing blood like a small river. Tears filling her eyes Helen used his shirt to apply pressure to the wounds. Nikola made a small gasping noise as if trying to speak but Helen quickly shushed him.

"No don't speak. You have to save your strength Nikola."

He nodded in reluctant consent but the motion only caused him sputter and cough, spraying a little blood from his mouth. Helen's eyes only grew wider in sheer terror at this but managed to keep it out of her voice saying,

"You're going to be fine Nikola. You will be. You have to be."

Then finally looking at the others cried,

"Will help me carry him to the car, you have to drive us back. "

Will instantly obliged by coming over and lifting Nikola into his arms and hurried after Helen. Henry grabbed what he could, and Kate grabbed a cooler thrust the blood into it, and then dashed off. Nikola's world was going blurry and as Will gently laid him down the back of the van beside Helen who was already opening the first aid kit and simultaneously wiping away tears. He vaguely heard the sound of the engine revving and then definitely felt the lurch of the van leaping off towards the Sanctuary. He groaned in pain as Helen began probing his wounds with a now gloved hand. Reaching up he grabbed it,

"Don't bother," he gasped out, "it's…my time."

"Nikola don't you dare start talking like that."

Nikola shook his head, coughing up more blood which Helen quickly and delicately wiped away. As she leaned over him to do this Nikola, through his fast fading vision he saw the tears glistening in her beautiful eyes. He mustered what strength he could, reached up one hand and wiped them away then told her gently,

"I would rather….die now…saving you…then have to live…the rest of my life…loving you from a far."

Nikola felt consciousness slip away from him as soon as he finished speaking. Helen burst into tears at his words and watched his head slump to the side.

They got back to the Sanctuary in record time, but he'd lost a lot of blood on the way over and was still losing it as they wheeled him into the operating room. Helen was able to extract the bullet fragments, repair the damage and stop the bleeding but it didn't seem to be in time. Nikola Tesla was really dying. Helen took off her scrubs and headed straight for her lab. The only thing that could save Nikola now was his own blood.

_Nikola stood outside the chapel, thinking it strange that in over a hundred years that it had not changed one bit but then again, this was the first time he had ever gone back to his homeland to visit any part of it in all these years so how would he know what it looked like? He walked up the stone steps, swung open the wooden doors and half way down the row of pews realized that he must be dreaming. There in the first row, sat his brother Dane who had died in during their childhood._

_ "Dane?" Nikola called out to him._

_Turning the pew Dane gave him a warm, if confused, smile._

_ "What are you doing here little brother?"_

_ "I guess I've finally died."_

_ "No you haven't. You're close though."_

_ "Oh," Nikola said, going and sitting beside his brother, "I guess I'll just sit and wait then."_

_ "No you won't."_

_It was Nikola's turn to be confused._

_ "What?"_

_ "You are going to sit here a bit yes," Dane shook his head "but you will not be here long. So don't get too comfortable."_

_Nikola, not really sure what was going on at this point, just sat quietly beside his brother. A long couple of moments passed. Then Dane spoke._

_ "You came here after I died remember?"_

_ "I've never forgotten." Nikola answered his tone full of remorse and grief._

_ "You came looking for some kind of forgiveness for what happened to me."_

_Nikola didn't answer. Dane turned to look him,_

_ "It wasn't your fault, little brother. I am so proud of everything you've done. I love you."_

_Nikola looked at Dane and burst out into tears trying to say something in reply but…._

Nikola's eyelids fluttered and small groan escaped his mouth as he regained consciousness. Helen picked her head up from where she had sleeping with her arms folded on the bed beside his torso, one hand in his, to look Nikola's face. He opened his eyes slowly, everything was a little blurry and then when it all came into focus the first thing he saw was the always stunning face of Helen Magnus.

"Nikola," she whispered.

"Helen."

He felt her hand in his and squeezed it saying,

"I guess it wasn't my time after all."

Helen grinned broadly at this and shook her head saying,

"No, no it was not."

"So how'd you save me this time?"

"Your blood." She answered simply.

"You mean I'm…"

"Re-vamped." Helen finished for him, "Yes."

Nikola closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had not noticed it before, but now he could feel the electricity prowling in him again and the strength of his ancestors as well. Opening his eyes again he looked deep into Helen's eyes.

"Thank you."

Helen didn't answer but just bathed in the warm way Nikola was looking at her. Both were searching for the right words to say next. Finally Helen reached up with one hand, cupping Nikola's face in her hand and lowered her lips to his gently at first. Then she ran tongue along his bottom lip and he parted his lips to let her wanting to taste more of her as well. Reaching his free hand up Nikola cupped Helen's face, pulling her deeper into the kiss, eliciting a tiny moan from her which caused the electricity to come thundering to the surface and jump from his hands to her body making her groan. In response she nipped his bottom lip playfully and he growled forcing himself into her mouth. The kiss lasted another long couple of moments. Helen pulled back first, needing air, and rested her forehead on his a moment catching her breath and composing herself a little. Then she leaned into his ear and whispered,

"Surprised?"

The laughed rumbled deep within his chest and he twisted his head to her ear and replied,

"Not at all."

Helen swatted his arm in a kidding manner and Nikola cried out in mock protest,

"Ow! Is this how you treat recovering gunshot patients? With psychical abuse?"

"Only the most insolent patients." She quipped, "Besides you're a vampire. Suck it up."

"See if I take two bullets for you ever again."

"Actually, it was _three_ bullets." Helen told him laughing a little at the irony.

"Really?" Nikola was pensive for a moment then declared, "I officially hate the number three."

"Good, one less of your eccentricities I have to deal with now that you will be living here."

Nikola's heart skipped a beat.

"Living here?"

"Yes Nikola. You are not going to go disappearing off to goodness knows where and leave me behind to worry for half a century that I won't ever see you again."

"Sorry to disappoint Helen but I have to take a tiny trip before I live anywhere," Nikola replied seriously.

"Where?"

"Where what?"

"Where is this tiny trip too?"

Had this been a year ago, or even three weeks ago, Nikola would have thrown up his defenses and lied to Helen's face to protect himself. But this was not a year ago, or three weeks ago, this was now. He had just gone to the brink of death for her and she had kissed him and told him he was going to be living with her. So for the first time since he could remember Nikola let down all his defenses, averted his gaze and muttered,

"Home."

Helen knew instantly what he meant. It had been during their time at Oxford he had confided in her about Dane, and the nightmares. It was one of the reasons she was always so worried about him, even when she hadn't shown it. She gave him a loving and reassuring smile and told him,

"I'll go with you."

Nikola returned his gaze to Helen's searchingly.

"You want to come with me?" He asked.

"Mhm. I want to see the home of the man I love," leaning in she murmured into his ear, "and I want to be there for you when you visit Dane."

With that she gave him a swift kiss on the check, leaned back, and standing up went to leave but found Nikola's grip on her hand tightened. Turning and going back to stand by his bed she looked at him quizzically. He gestured and she leaned over him. Reaching his free hand up again he cupped her face and brought his lips to hers in the most gentle and loving kiss Helen had ever experienced. Went it was over Nikola kept his hand on her cheek and just barely breathed,

"I love you."

Leaning into his hand on her face she gently squeezed the one she was holding and said,

"I love you too."

Once again she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Pulling back she told him,

"Now get some rest. I'll be back soon. I have to go make arrangements for our trip."

Nikola smiled back at her and watched her leave. Then he rolled on his side, closed to his eyes to sleep and whispered,

"Thank you Dane."


End file.
